10:13am: The deal will likely include two guaranteed years, Morosi reports (on Twitter).
9:41am: The A's are close to a multiyear deal with Grant Balfour, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). ACES represents Balfour.
Balfour posted a 2.28 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 55 1/3 innings for the Rays last year. The 33-year-old has always been a fly ball pitcher and last year was no exception; he posted a 30.6% ground ball rate and a 49.7% fly ball rate.
Since Oakland's first round pick is protected, the Rays will obtain a second round pick from the A's for losing the Type A free agent. Tampa will also add a supplementary first round pick to its growing collection of draft picks. The Rays have 11 of the first 89 picks in next year's draft, including nine before the start of the second round.
If Balfour and Carl Pavano finalize deals with the A's and Twins, as expected, all Type A free agents tied to draft pick compensation will have signed.
This post was originally published on January 14th.
They Rays are loading up on draft picks for next season.
a’s first round pick is protected
And? The Rays still get two draft picks for him and nobody with an unprotected pick was going to sign Balfour anyway. This is close to best case scenario for the Rays.
This is so un Billy Beane-like
Boo-yaa! Rays, even though they only get a second rounder, are going to be loaded in the next draft. Only question I have is whether or not they can afford to sign most of them?
they will be able to because of the trading of Garza. Also, the top picks, meaning 1-7 98% of the time get the most. they will have the 24 pick so they are most likely going to have spend a total of 6 million in the draft, just speculation.
Their payroll is a lot lesser than AROD. I guess it is around 20m or something. Even if they add one or two bullpens plus DH, it will be slightly more than AROD but that is it.
2-Year Deal with a Club Option 3rd year? It’s gotta be. A’s are going to have to manufacture runs, play stellar defense, and pitch lights out to have any chance versus the Rangers in 2011. Bullpen should be able to hold things down for the best young pitching staff in the MLB
Killer B’s: Bailey, Balfour, Breslow, Blevins + Wuertz, Ziegler, Devine, Harden/McCarthy, De Los Santos
While I like our 2011 team more than many, it probably isn’t our year, we may stay close but will still finish out of the playoffs. But this rebuilding has brought it’s rewards as much as it has hurt. We have 11 picks, 10 of which are before the 2nd round. We added Archer, Lee, Guyer, Chirinos, Gomes, Russell, Figueroa and full years of Jennings, Hellickson, McGee and it sounds like Brignac and Joyce are finally gonna be full time starters. We may lose more than I like but we will be fun to watch.
Even without Garza, the pitching is still there in Tampa. Especially if Hellickson pans out.
But losing Crawford and Peña is going to be a massive hit for the Rays.
Even without Garza, the pitching is still there in Tampa. Especially if Hellickson pans out.
But losing Crawford and Peña is going to be a massive hit for the Rays.
Rays will have 12 picks for first two rounds.
Soriano(2)+Crawford(2)+Balfour(2)+Hawpe(1)+Chote(1)+Qualls(1)+Benoit(1)+Rays First Round Pick (1)+Rays Second Round Pick(1). It will be a good chance to add some depth in their infield prospects.
this is the strongest draft in recent memory. with TB getting so many picks, they will be a dominant force in the AL East for the next 5-10 years. I will bet a lot of money they end up with players that produce better than all of the ones listed.
Right, because draft picks always pan out…
The Rays will likely be missing the playoffs for a few years, but they’ll easily finish over .500 (Well over, I’d say, I think Rays fans are underestimating the immediate fallout of losing Garza and Crawford, but others are overestimating the bullpen changes and loss of Pena) in the meantime. After that, the reloading they’ve done and the draft picks they’ve stockpiled for next year should have them ready to compete again long before Longoria’s (Who, to me, is the one piece they absolutely need) conract is up.
Why? The A’s will just flip him once they are out of contention.
Exactly…he’ll be more of a commodity being under the team’s control for 2012 also…more return
Relievers who sign high(ish) dollar multi-year contracts don’t have a lot of value so even if they were to deal Balfour at some point, the return likely wouldn’t be overly impressive. Also, i’m getting tired of every f***ing FA signing the A’s make getting blown off as a mid-season trade conspiracy. The A’s will be fielding a pretty good team in 2011. The Rangers are the favorite, but it’s a lot close then people make it out to be. Beane set this team up to have some financial flexibility over the next several seasons, it really shouldn’t be quite a suprise to see the A’s pursuing players like Beltre and Balfour. They can afford it, and will be fielding a competitive team next year.
Relievers who sign high(ish) dollar multi-year contracts don’t have a lot of value so even if they were to deal Balfour at some point, the return likely wouldn’t be overly impressive. Also, i’m getting tired of every f***ing FA signing the A’s make getting blown off as a mid-season trade conspiracy. The A’s will be fielding a pretty good team in 2011. The Rangers are the favorite, but it’s a lot close then people make it out to be. Beane set this team up to have some financial flexibility over the next several seasons, it really shouldn’t be quite a suprise to see the A’s pursuing players like Beltre and Balfour. They can afford it, and will be fielding a competitive team next year.
I don’t think that’s the idea here…the A’s are a little behind Texas, but they’re going to be competitive the next two years.
One injury to a ranger pitcher and the A’s will pass them up. Rangers starting is so thin that the help is nothing. Rangers will need to get out to a fast start. 2 teams with far different ways to win. One out scores you the other beats you with pitching and defense.
Unless the team gets ravaged by injuries, they will never be out of contention. This isnt 2007. This team has money.
If his contract is similar to other free agent relievers from the 2011 class (Downs 3YR/15M, Crain 3YR/13M, Benoit 3YR/16.5M), I just don’t see the value.
Well, at least this marks the end of losing former players.
I mean unless you wanna count Cormier(god he was awful last season), Aybar(um…..god, he was awful last 2 seasons), Kapler(ok seriously, should of stayed retired) and Baldelli who I will always love even when he wore a Red Sox uniform for a year will probably retire.